The Thief

Suppose a stranger broke into your house in the middle of the night. Sneaking into your bedroom, he slips fifty dollars from your bureau just as you awake. In an instant you realize what is happening, leap up and restrain the thief. Now what?

You would certainly call the police and have the man arrested. Your only concern would be in getting the thief our of your house and never hearing about him again. You would not be interested in making friends. You would, in short, deal with him after the law.

Now imagine your thirteen year old daughter sneaking into your bedroom at two in the morning. As she slips a fifty dollar bill off of your bureau, you suddenly awake. Realizing what is going on you grab a hold of your child. Now what?

You are not likely to call the police. In fact, your main concern would not be the fifty dollars you almost lost. Instead, you would be heart broken that your own daughter would steal from you. Your relationship would be the focus of your concern. You would, of course, be angry but, above all, you would want to restore the broken relationship. In short, you would deal with her with grace.

The thirteen year old is doing the same thing as the burglar, but it is their relationship with you that is different. So it is with God. Because you are His child, He deals with you through grace. For those who are not related to Him, there is the Law. Grace is not an excuse to sin but an opportunity to come boldly before God and honestly share your heart with Him. It is an invitation to restore your relationship with Yahweh, your creator and the lover of your soul.